Things are already heated between the headliners of ONE 169. ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin and "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane had to be separated at the athlete hotel in Bangkok prior to their collision on Friday, November 8.
In the video posted by ONE Championship, things first appeared to be light-hearted. The challenger was being filmed when Malykhin walked into the frame and told the camera what he planned to do in the ONE 169 main event.
"This one shot, head shot. Three days. One shot. This guy, sleep. One shot," Malykhin professed.
"Reug Reug" took the words in stride, smiling, and only responded by saying, "You're going to see."
As the two then faced each other, their demeanors changed. The intensity between the heavyweights ramped up, and Malykhin put his fist to Kane's chest and pushed the Senegalese star backward a step.
At that point, Kane responded with his own shove, and members of his team stepped in to separate the two hulking heavyweights.
The encounter showed that there is a growing heat between the two talented athletes ahead of their World Championship matchup. With so much on the line, both men are on edge and looking for a big showing on a massive platform.
Hopefully, the ring inside Lumpinee Stadium will be reinforced as these two behemoths prepare for a thunderous showdown at ONE 169.
ONE 169 airs live and free on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, November 8.